


Cigarettes and Lunch

by Dirk_From_Statefarm



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Unfinished
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-05-03 09:05:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14565651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dirk_From_Statefarm/pseuds/Dirk_From_Statefarm
Summary: i hate this but anyways all mistakes are mine





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i hate this but anyways all mistakes are mine

       The shrill bell roused the sleeping male from his nap. As he blinked the sleep out of his eyes, he noticed her. A slightly agitated look flickered across her features as she caught his gaze. His back popped as he stood and stretched before pulling his binders to his side. Her blonde hair swayed as she turned sharply away and walked out of the door. The light seemed to leave the room with her and it was back to being the boring dimness it normally harbored. 

       “Irene.” He called our after her, talking long strides to catch up. She stiffened slightly, fingers gripping the locker door a little tighter. “Irene.” Irene shoved her books into her locker with a sigh and looked up. 

       “I’m not giving you my notes. If you wanted to actually pass a class, then maybe you would stay awake for once.” Though her words were bitter, the tone didn’t carry through. Her expression wavered slightly and it was hard for him to take her seriously when she had to tilt her head back this much to make proper eye contact. 

       “Well, I was actually going to ask you out for lunch.” He had tried this several times, hoping that he’d get a yes at least once. He didn’t push when he asked really, but he did ask every so often. If she said no he would nod before pushing away from the wall and walking away. Maybe it seemed a little passive aggressive…

       “Dave…” a small sigh, “sure. Lunch sounds good.” A grin broke across his face and his already rutty cheeks deepened in color. Dave swept her up into a hug, spinning happily before setting her down. “Thank you! Meet me by my car, okay?” The tall male rushed off, disappearing outside with everyone else. When his feet hit the sidewalk a wave of anxiety slammed over him. His right hand fumbled to pull out the pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. The feeling of it between his lips calmed his nerves some and at the first inhale of smoke, his anxiety melted faster. A few people shifted away as he walked by. Wind swept through the parking lot, blowing his bangs into his eyes. A few moments later, her figure stepped out of the school, dress and hair shifting gently with the wind. The soft blue dress complemented her figure nicely. She fished her phone out of her pocket, maybe checking the time, because she looked up a few feet back and stopped. “You smoke?” There was a twinge of disgust in her voice. He swallowed thickly and stomped out the cigarette as fast as his body would allow. 

       “O-of course not.”

       “You were just obviously smoking.”

       “W-well,” He shoved a hand through his red hair before dragging it back down his face and across his beard. “I mean yes. I smoke. It um… it helps with..” He gestured because he couldn’t formulate a decent enough response in his head. “I uh… can’t really explain it. I won’t smoke around you though. I promise. Sorry that I didn’t put it out before you got here.” A frown twitched as the edges of her chapped lips. Irene said nothing as she walked over to the passenger side and got into the car. Dave blinked before stumbling to get into the driver’s seat. “You can put your back in the back seat if you want.” No words left her mouth as she twisted to do just that before putting on the seat belt. The drive out of the parking lot was quiet besides the soft sound of the radio.

       “Dave.” He flinched, cursing softly. “You don’t need to tell me why you smoke. I appreciate you making the effort to not smoke around me.” He gave a stiff nod and mumbled a thank you. His body visibly relaxed against the worn leather of the seat.

       “Thank you,” he said again. 


	2. Chapter 2

       He ended up taking her to Wasabi, giggling like an overly excited child as he walked in. Irene smiled faintly at his back and slid into the both across from him as they were sat. “So, Wasabi?” Dave nodded eagerly. 

       “It’s my favorite sushi place.” He chewed on the end of his straw slightly, fingers tracing the condensation that was starting to appear along the cup. Irene lightly tapped her fingers against the menu. Her eyes scanned over the large variety of things before glancing up at him through the tops of her wire-framed glasses. 

       “So what do you recommend?” Dave paused and let the straw slide from between his lips. His eyes flicked across the laminated paper. Irene watched as his eyes lit up with excitement before he looked back to her. It took the senior a moment to find the right words to express all of his thoughts. 

       “Everything.” A weak laugh. “Well no not really. I like the California rolls a lot and they have amazing bento boxes. With the bento boxes I usually get Salmon and beef. The ramen is great too.” His eyes darted across her face, settling on her lips for a moment before shifting back to her eyes. There was a slight glare on her glasses from the window and a part of him thanked the lord that it slightly blocked her eyes. Another part of him was a little disappointed that he couldn’t the brilliant blue that they were. Dave couldn’t help but think of how her eyes were as blue as the ocean and then quickly looked away again. A nervous cough pressed itself out of his throat after a quiet sorry. Irene blinked a few times before looking up as the waiter came back. She listed off ramen with beef and Dave stared at the menu as he told the waiter he would like a salmon bento box. 

       “Can I try your bento box when it gets out here?” She asked after the male had walked away with the menus. He nodded a little bit, lips twitching into a small smile. 

—-

       The joy that swept over her features when the food came out was adorable. Irene inhaled deeply as the ramen was set in front of her. She glanced down at her hands as she picked up her chopsticks and positioned them between her fingers. Dave nudge his bento box towards her. It was quite for a moment as she marveled at the taste of sushi and ramen and just generally everything that they were eating. It was comfortable to just sit and eat across from her, glancing out the window to watch cars drive through the parking lot and towards the highway. As the end of the meal rolled around, Irene boxed her ramen while Dave ordered mochi ice cream.

       “What flavors would you like?”

       Dave gave a small pause. “Strawberry and green tea?” Irene nodded eagerly. The waiter disappeared once more before returning in a few short minutes with a plate of ice cream. A soft moan escaped his mouth as he ate one of the small slices. This was a good date indeed. 


	3. Chapter 3

       It was another late night shift that he would soon regret upon entering school, but none of that mattered when the money was good. Good money meant being able to pay for things that his little sister wanted. Good money meant being able to put food on the table for her. Good money meant getting out of this town sooner than later. The chime at the door rang as someone walked in, and he couldn’t be bothered with looking up to greet the customer properly. “Welcome to Super Plus, If you need help finding anything please let me know.” There was no response and for a while it was pretty silent. Dave idly noted that his elbow was starting to go numb from leaning on it. Five cans suddenly slid into view, to which he stood up and grabbed them to start scanning. “Will this be all for you?”

       “Yeah.” Glancing up, he noticed that it was Irene who was standing in front of him. He looked down at the energy drinks and then back to her and then back at the energy drinks and then back down, “What?” Her hair was pulled into a sloppy bun, glasses sliding down her nose as she yawned into her hand. Dave noted that she was wearing leggings and a worn out, baggy band t-shirt. A part of him thought of how cute she looked while another part was slightly concerned about the energy drinks.

       “Irene, it is almost two in the morning. What are you doing buying so many of these things?” Dave still pulled another can towards him to ring it in. Irene looked up at him slowly from where it seemed she was starting to zone out on the cans. Her gaze was tired and blank before she seemed to register that it was him. A small smile crept its way on to her lips, idly nudging her glasses back into place before she spoke.

       “Well,” she held back another yawn. “I have an essay do in my English honors class second hour. I’m actually half way done, so I am assuming that I can be finished before school starts. What are you doing at two in the morning, Dave? Shouldn’t you be asleep too?” Placing the cans into a paper bag, he carefully set them back onto the counter and stared at her for a solid two minutes.

       “Well, for one, your total is going to be 11.20. Second of all, I’m the overnight shift. I’m here until thirty minutes before school.” Silence fell once more as she pulled out the exact amount of money. There was no more conversation as he placed the money away and she grabbed her bag of energy drinks. There was no ‘goodbye’ when she walked out the door, only the suddenly too loud chiming of the door bell. 

       ___

       School was a drag. The only pleasing thought was that lunch was an hour long and he could use it to sleep. Or at least try. Right now it was really hard to keep his eyes open during the presentation that the teacher was giving. Within the second row of seats, Irene sat there scribbling notes onto a piece of paper. She really was cute with her hair curled like that and the flowy dress that she paired with knee high boots. Dave also liked how she crossed her ankles under her chair. The edges of his vision blurred, placing the full weight of his head against his hand. Just as he was about to fall asleep, his attention snapped back into place as his head fell off of his hand. Jerking back into a full sitting position and glancing around, it seemed that no one else had noticed him being a complete idiot. It also seemed that half of the class was falling asleep just like him. If a god existed, Dave thanked them as the bell rang, interrupting the teacher mid-sentence. He stood slowly, realizing after a moment that he hadn’t actually brought any of his things to class and then realized that he hadn’t brought anything to school besides himself. Irene cast a glance back to him, offering a small smile before she left the room all together. Once again, the light seemed to leave with her. 

       “Mr. Scharf, I would like to speak with you for a moment.” The teacher gave a tired smile as he approached. Dave watched as she drummed her fake nails against the table top, part of him wondering why she had picked such an ugly color to have them painted. “Mr. Scharf.”

       “Yes’m?”

       “I have noticed you falling asleep frequently in my class and I must say that I do not appreciate it. Though I am concerned for your well being. Your grades have dropped recently, but I know that you’re a good kid. I’ve seen the grades you can achieve when you actually put effort into your work. My point is though, I would like to know if there is something going on in your life that is causing this change in your behavior.”  Her eyebrows knitted together, the corners of her mouth tugging down in a small frown. When he didn’t respond right away, she sighed and finally sat down in her swivel chair. “Mr. Scharf, how in your home life?” There was a twisting feeling his gut as he opened his mouth to try and formulate an answer.

       “I apologize for falling asleep. I work the overnight shift at the Super Plus gas station. I get off of work about a half an hour before school begins which gives me time to change my clothes and buy a coffee.” Dave let his hands fidget with the cuffs of his jacket. 

       “I see.” Her eyes seemed to unfocus for a moment before she cut a look to his face again, offering a tight smile. “Well, Mr. Scharf. I just hope that you can keep your grades up. I see a lot of potential in you and would like to see you succeed in life. You may leave.” Dave nodded before leaving the room. Irene pushed herself off of her locker and raised an eyebrow. 

       “Usually you come out right after me. Is everything okay?” Now it was her who had the knitted eyebrows and small frown and it was this time that Dave thought about how cute it was and how her lower lip seemed to have a slight dent in it right in the middle. It was now that Dave felt ashamed of his life and everything that stood it stood for. “Dave?”

       “Sorry, yeah everything is fine. She just asked me to stay awake. Wanna get lunch?” She smiled softly up at him and nodded. 

       “Do I get to pick the place this time?” The redhead couldn’t help but laugh as he nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

       The music was loud enough that he could feel his sternum vibrate with the force of it. It was loud enough that the world was spinning and he was having a hard time remembering how he got here. The last thing he could remember was telling his sister that he would be back in the morning to take her to school before he left. Elijah had told him to be careful. Dave couldn’t remember how he got here or why he was here but only that he was here. Someone touched his arm and he sluggishly looked over, vision blurring. It was a some girl with too red of lips and too dark of hair. Her eyes weren’t the right color and her height wasn’t right. The way she was touching his arm wasn’t okay and her nails were this horrid shade of neon pink that looked odd beneath the black light. She wasn’t Irene and he couldn’t fathom why she thought this was okay. Her lips split into this odd smile as she spoke, but it sounded like everything was underwater. Pulling his arm away, he took in her offended look and simply stared for a moment. She was talking again, reaching out to touch him once more. The thought made his stomach roll. She wasn’t who he wanted. She wasn’t the pretty girl with golden hair and sapphire eyes that held the sun in her smile. His skin crawled as she ran her fingers up the back of his neck. There was a burning pain as she pressed against the bruise that was there when trying to pull him down. For a moment is looked like his goddess and he couldn’t help but lean forward with the urge to kiss her, before realizing at the last moment that this once again was not her. She was not his and it felt like bile was rising up once more. Jerking away suddenly, he sucked in a sharp breath and stared at her wide eyed as he tried to get the world to stop spinning. Dave once more could not remember what was happening or what he was doing in this strange place. The girl looked agitated at having been rejected again when it seemed like she was going to get her way. 

       “I…” Tongue feeling like lead in his mouth, he downed his mixed drink quickly and stumble away from her. There was a part of his mind that was coherent enough to rip the phone from him pocket and call the pretty girl that was his screensaver. His hands shook as he pushed himself in the alley, ears ringing at the sudden silence that followed the slamming of the heavy door. The dial tone cut off as she answered. Her voice sounded like she was trying to talk to him through a thick wall. “Please,” his voice croaked as nausea rolled through him. There was more muffled sounds, faster and slightly more urgent. His vision was spotted with black dots as he moved to sit on the ground. Glancing around him, he tiredly listed off what his surroundings where because he was sure he called her for something important. With a soft sigh, he set the phone in his lap and closed his eyes while he waited. 

 

       ___

 

       When he opened his eyes again there had been a change in scenery. Everything was now blurred with the movement of a car driving. A quick glance to his left confirmed that whoever was driving was indeed the pretty girl from his phone. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel, a frown set deep into her features. She looked over, facial features softening slightly when she saw that he was awake. “What on earth had you been thinking? You were sleeping in an alley in a part of town that I’ve never even been to. Someone could have taken your stuff or maybe they could have hurt you or maybe…”

       “‘S fine. ‘M here now.” He offered a smile that felt like it took more effort than it should.

       “What were you even doing out here anyways, Dave? You’re not even old enough to drink so I don’t know how you got alcohol from that… club.” Irene’s hands flexed as she tightened her grip. Dave was still piecing together the events of the night and let the conversation drop off for a while. The frown set itself back, eyebrows pushing together and creating small creases across her forehead. “Where do you live? I’m taking you home.” 

       “I went to go visit my dad,” his words were clearer as he woke up more. “He um… said that he needed to talk to me or something. Mom had just sent us this check to help us pay for our apartment and was asking us how we were doing. I lied and said that we were doing okay. That we had gotten out of that part of town she had never liked.” He glanced out the window and sighed. “By the way you’re going to Clarcton. Anyways, so I went over to his little shack of a house and tried to have a civil conversation with him. But he was  _ drunk _ and he was  _ angry _ because apparently it was  _ my fault _ that he went and had an affair! That it was my fault he was a drunk bastard that hit his kids! Like I had  _ asked _ to be burned with his cigarettes and slammed up against the wall! It was his fault that he didn’t trust mom. That she was trying to make sure this job was going to work out for all of us before telling him that this was a great opportunity. It was too late though; he went an’ had an affair with some low life scum because he thought she was hiding something. I told him that if he got his life together then maybe he could come and visit Delilah and he told me he wanted “nothing to do with that  _ heathen _ ”.” He sucked in a shaky breath, pushing his hands roughly through his hair before slamming his fist into her dashboard. 

       “Dave!” Her shoulders were tense with all the knew information. Her eyes were wide with the startlement of him actually hitting the car. Said male slumped back into the seat, sniffling. 

       “He was angry that I had refused to let him see Deli and all this other stupid stuff. Angry enough that he slammed me into the wall and almost hit me. It’s okay though, just the back of my head and some of my shoulders are bruised- You’re gonna make a left up at this stop sign and head to the third street on the right. It’ll be that big apartment building.” As she turned onto Pilot Ave., Dave saw that Elijah’s car was still parked in front. There was a faint light coming from their window. Hopefully Deli was asleep. Otherwise she would be tired in school and maybe sleep in some of her classes. Irene pulled into the small parking lot, not saying anything as she helped him out of the car and up the rickety stairs that creaked under the weight of two people. Dave fumbled to unlock the door before gently pushing it open. Elijah was sitting on the sad little couch that sat in the sad little living room. 

       “Dave-” His brother was standing, dropping the book and moving over to him. “Idiot. You know you can’t-” His eyes cut to Irene, pressing his mouth into a thin line as they moved him to his room. He slumped into the bed, rolling over to shove his face into a pillow. Irene inclined her head slightly to make eye contact with his brother. 

       “Is it alright if I just make sure he’s okay?” Her hands picked at the ends of her jacket, Elijah didn’t respond for a while before he gave a curt nod and left the room


	5. Chapter 5

       The shrill alarm clock was enough to have him rolling off of his bed and straight on to the floor. It was morning and his head was killing him. The memories of last night were a blurry mess and right now wasn’t the time to try and sort them out. Standing felt like a challenge within itself, but it had to be done. On the bedside table there was a neatly folded piece of paper wit his name scrawled across the front. 

 

_        Dave, _

_ I don’t know if you’ll remember last night but thank you for calling me. I made sure you were okay and asleep before I left but hopefully you’ll feel better in the morning. Make sure to drink water and take some painkillers. See you at school. _

 

_        -Irene _

 

       Her handwriting was nice, flowing across the page neatly. Across the hall, Deli left her room and walked into the bathroom to do her morning routine. One more door down, Elijah left his room as well and Dave listened to him quietly walk to his door before it opened. They made eye contact and it seemed like forever before anyone moved or spoke. Elijah stepped in and closed it softly behind him, leaning against it with a soft thud. “Do you remember what you even did last night?”

       “Uh… I know I went to talk to Dad and he got a little violent. I don’t really know about after that though. Why? Did I do something bad? Did I hurt someone? Did I hurt Deli? Or you?” Before his rambling thoughts could get much, he looked back down at the note in his hand. “Irene was here. Why? I don’t remember Irene being in the picture at all last night.” 

       “You went and go drunk after seeing Dad. I don’t really know how you got the alcohol because last I remembered you agreed to stop drinking and had gotten rid of your fake ID. You also can’t go around drinking because of your meds. It says right on the bottle that while your on the meds you can’t in take any kind of alcohol at any time. Back to your question though, no, no one was hurt. Irene was here because you called her and asked for a ride. She said that on the way home you started ranting about Dad and how he…” Elijah gestured weakly. “The point is, I don’t trust her yet. You said too much, even by your standards.” He could hear Deli walk out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen. “You promised to take her to school today, so get your life together and go.” With that said, Elijah left the room. Guilt and shame and self-disgust blew through him like a hurricane. A quick look in the mirror told him that he looked absolutely horrible. 

       “Deli!” He tugged off his shirt and dug through the bin of clean clothing that he and his brother shared. 

“What?” She peeked into his room, shoving a piece of toast into her mouth. 

       “Be ready to leave in five.” She gave a small salute before walking away. Dave didn’t change his jeans but he did pull on a dark grey shirt and his leather jacket. He tugged on his boots as he walked towards the door; Deli followed after quickly, swinging her small school bag onto her shoulders. The ride to school had been silent. Deli kept shooting him glances before looking back out the window. He didn’t ask why and she didn’t offer an explanation. Upon arriving at school, there were a few people who shot bitter glares. They were from the rivaling territory and he honestly felt too tired to try and seem like he had full control over his life. With a lit cigarette hanging from his lips, he moved to his people and leaned up against one of their cars. Smoke drifted away into the wind as they talked about the upcoming party that was to be happening in a few months. Irene’s car pulled into her parking spot a few spaces down. She got out and Dave was once again filled with overwhelming self disgust. Though she was amazingly beautiful as always, Dave tore his gaze aware from her the moment they made eye contact and she started waving. It would be best to end everything before it got anywhere. If anyone even thought that they could possibly like each other like that, then her reputation as the good girl would be ruined. Tainted by his ugly past and current reality. She would not gain anything from talking to him. He just had to keep telling himself that until he could begin to believe it fully. Jason glanced over his shoulder and looked at Irene. 

       “You know her?” Dave gave a weak shrug, blowing smoke out of his nose and wishing that his throbbing headache would go away. He should have listened to the note and taken some meds. Jason and the rest of them stared at him for a while. It was probably because he never mentioned Irene to anyone but himself. There was no need to involve her in the things he did when he was alone. It didn’t make the tightness in his chest loosen when he dropped the cigarette and ground his boot against it. It didn’t make the urge to wave at her any less. It didn’t do anything but hurt as he shoved his hands into his pockets and pushed away from the car. 

       “Let’s go.” Dave’s voice was harsh; his shoulders were tensed as he walked towards the school, heels hitting hard on the pavement. There were softer, quicker steps behind him before someone was gently touching his arm. He jerked away like he had been burned, memories of last night suddenly playing in his mind. Memories of another girl touching him, but this was not that girl and the hurt look that passed over Irene’s features made his stomach twist in anxious knots.

       “Dave? Are you okay?” Her hand trailed up his arm and to his neck. She tugged down the raised collar of his jacket and lightly touched his throat. “What happened to you? I mean- I know what happened but these weren’t there when I picked you up. Did your brother- or maybe your father?” Irene’s voice faltered as she gently traced random designs. Dave suddenly knew why Deli was looking at him weird. She was tracing bruises that he hadn’t noticed. He couldn’t figure out whether his dad had choked him or not. He didn’t care to remember either. “Dave?” Sucking in a quiet breath, Dave gently grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away. Everyone behind him had stopped walking. Everyone in the parking lot could see them and guilt twisted his stomach even more. A soft voice in his head chanted that he was no good for her, friend or not. 

       “Don’t,” voice cracking slightly with the whisper. “Please, don’t.” He left then, leaving her standing there by herself. She looked upset, concerned even. It hurt more knowing that she saw, knowing that she  _ knew _ about things. Heavier steps followed this time and Dave let himself find comfort with the knowledge that the rest of them were right behind him. 

 

       ___

 

       The day passed by slowly. Irene had tried to get his attention and he had outright ignored her. It would be easier in the end. He just had to keep telling himself this and everything would turn out okay. Dave slept through his classes and every time he closed his eyes, the pain of “fighting” his father seemed new all over again. The same teacher that had asked him about his home life tried talking to him again. Her eyes trailed over the dark, blotchy bruises that wrapped around his neck. The jacket did little to hide them and everyone seemed to stare. Dave had gone numb with shame, staring blankly as she tried talking to him.

       “Mr. Scharf, I am highly concerned. These bruises are…” A new wave of numbness washed over him as he watched her eyes go shiny with tears. “Please, I want to help. No one should be treated like this and I find that…. I am unaware of what kind of situation you are in but I have been..” She gestured weakly. Dave noted that her nails were still that ugly color. 

       “I got into a fight.” He said softly but there was a tone in his voice that left no room for discussion. Her eyes widened slightly as she sniffled. “Please stop concerning yourself with me, it will not help my situation.” His skin itched as anger slowly took over the numbing pain that he was used to. “I do not crave your pity, Ms. Clarkson. If I wanted pity, I would go to therapy and I would tell people about my family and my sister and the town I live in.” With that said, the male turned sharply and stormed out of the room. The teacher called after him but he was already walking through the crowded hallways. The talking was too loud and it fueled the rage that boiled in his veins. People glanced at him and then proceeded to stare for longer than they should. If they wanted something to stare at him for then he would give them reason to. Heaving in a breath, Dave balled his hand into a fist and slammed it hard enough into his locker that the skin of his knuckles busted open and the aluminum dented. The noise suddenly stopped, all eyes trained on him. It was Jason who moved to him and grabbed the front of his jacket, yanking him down a few inches so that they were eye to eye.

       “Get a hold of yourself, David.” 

       “Shut up.” He balled his hands in Jason’s shirt. 

       “David.” His voice was stern and Dave felt bile rise in his throat.

       “I said. Shut. Up. You have  _ no right _ to call me that.” He backed him into the locker that he had just dented and lifted him up towards his own height. Jason rose onto his toes and grimaced. 

       “You’re supposed to be better than this. You of all people should know that and yet here you are. Punching lockers! Are you gonna hit me too? In front of the whole school? You gonna be that kind of man? You gonna be like him?” Jason had gone too far. Had pushed too much because the next this he knew, Dave’s fist was denting the metal next to his face. Sucking in a startled breath, the smaller male froze up. He ripped away from Jason and watched the blood roll down the locker. 

       “Outside. Now.” Jason squeaked out a ‘yes’sir’ and walked away hurriedly. Dave could feel eyes on him and hated it. Hated how it made him feel. Hated how he could see some freshman who looked terrified but it didn’t matter because the look Irene had was the worst of all. This was who he was and she was not compatible with him in any way, shape, or form. Brushing past her, he followed after Jason and soon everyone else that was with him followed after.


End file.
